


No Easy Secret to Keep

by wanderingflame



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content, Schmoop, Werewolf Jesse McCree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-11-16 06:30:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11248236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingflame/pseuds/wanderingflame
Summary: Hanzo knew many things about his lover, but not this.Update 8/22: Now with part 2.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by ghost-phage's gorgeous art of Hanzo and werewolf!McCree, which you can see [here](http://ghost-phage.tumblr.com/post/146694313501/why-not-a-little-of-both-%E3%83%84). (Go check out their other art! It's gooooood.) This started out as a little scene and then kept going because apparently I can't write these two without a lot of smooshy feelings and flirting. 
> 
> Posting for McHanzo Week 2017: Day 2 - Alternate Universe
> 
> Thank you for reading!

Awareness came to Hanzo slowly, in pieces that rose to the surface of his mind like bubbles of air. First there was pain. A throbbing ache that split his skull. The reason he was awake at all and not still blissfully unconscious. He tried to recall the cause of the pain. Something had struck his head. Was he attacked or had he fallen? 

Paired with the migraine was a general ache that had settled in his bones. The exhaustion that came from a desperate life or death struggle, from calling the dragons repeatedly, exhausting his supply of arrows, and being forced to use his bow as a blunt instrument. Memories were surfacing through the fog in his mind. There had been a fight. A mission gone wrong. Unexpected resistance swarming his position.

Hanzo tried to move from the reclined position he was in, tried to sit up, but his body ignored his commands. He managed to open his eyes, though they felt weighed down by lead.

A night sky above him, the stars half-hidden by tall pines. With no light, the trees were towering shadows, well-suited to their name: The Black Forest. He remembered now. The mission in Eichenwalde. The payload secured but their retreat cut off by the enemy.

He shivered suddenly, a full body shake that finally roused his extremities from their lethargy. He wiggled the fingers of the hand on his stomach. The other lay against cold soil. Despite the chill blanketing his front, Hanzo's back was ablaze. Whatever he lay against was warm enough to be a furnace. And it moved unusually, up and down in a way that made him think of breathing. He lifted his head and felt the tickle of fur against his neck and arms. When he looked to the left, he saw a shaggy shape with the unmistakable outline of canine ears. The object he lay against let out a deep sigh, confirming it was alive.

The realization banished the last of the fog from Hanzo's mind. He was suddenly aware that he was stranded in the woods, separated from his team, unarmed, with an unknown creature as his only company. Every muscle tensed but he remained frozen, his nerves screaming as he tried to determine his next move. The thing he lay against continued to breathe in and out, apparently unaware that Hanzo was awake.

Eventually, his eyes adjusted to the moonlight, allowing him to see Storm Bow on the ground nearby. He wasn't sure if he could reach it before the beast attacked, but he might have an extra couple of seconds if the animal was truly asleep. Hanzo breathed in and out slowly, feigning sleep himself for a minute, and then he launched himself to his feet.

He allowed himself two steps towards his weapon before turning, ready to meet the creature head-on. His determination fled in an instant, leaving him staring with his mouth open. Before him lay the largest wolf he'd ever seen. At least two meters long, it was easily two hundred pounds if not more. Its head—the size of Hanzo's chest—lifted so it could watch him with golden eyes.

Hanzo swallowed. When nothing happened in the seconds that followed, he allowed himself a brief glance at himself. No bite marks. A few shallow scratches but no clear signs of an animal attack. His lip was split but he vaguely recalled struggling with someone and being struck. Besides, if this creature tried to bite him, Hanzo doubted he would escape with only a busted lip.

He eyed the wolf warily. Its attention was focused on him but its body language was casual. It lay on one side, back legs stretched out. Its front half was upright, one foreleg tucked under its chest. Hanzo doubted the position would hamper it from lunging for him, _if_ it chose to, but for whatever reason it was simply watching him. After another tense minute, the tail lifted slowly. Hanzo tensed, waiting for the attack, but it only moved back and forth slowly.

 _Impossible_. Hanzo's brain refused to acknowledge what he was seeing. On a dog, such body language might indicate friendliness, but this was a wolf. A monstrous one at that. There was no way it could mean the same thing.

When Hanzo stayed tense, half-crouched and ready to leap out of the way, the tail paused and then drooped. The wolf's ears dropped back and its head lowered. It seemed to be cringing, making itself smaller and less threatening.

A bark of laughter escaped Hanzo before he could stop himself. It was simply too ridiculous, too absurd to be real. He must have struck his head harder than he thought and was hallucinating all of this. He pressed a hand to his forehead, checking for fever. His skin felt normal but shivers wracked him. The adrenaline was wearing off. Exhaustion, plus the chill in the air, were taking a toll.

Hanzo saw the wolf shift and instinctively backed up a step, closer to his bow. But it merely turned its head to pick up something in its mouth. It swung the object into view, dropping it on the ground and nudging the lump. Hanzo squinted, wondering what it could be, and then one corner of the painfully familiar red fabric fell open. 

“No!” He cried out without thinking, darting forward to grab the _sarape._ His instincts screamed to freeze in the face of this predator, but his heart was in his throat. McCree never parted with the _sarape_ willingly. For it to be here, where he wasn't... Hanzo backed up a few steps, turning the worn fabric over and over. In the low light, it was impossible to see if blood stained it. With shaking hands, he clutched it to him, looking again at the wolf.

It hadn't eaten _him_ yet so there was no reason to assume it had killed McCree. But that didn't tell him where the man was, or what had happened to him.

“McCree!” he called into the dark woods and then cursed himself. If there were enemies in the area, he had just alerted them to his presence. He glanced again at his bow. Even without arrows, he'd feel better with it in his hands if someone did show up. He would deal with this animal and then find McCree 

When he took a step towards the bow, the wolf shifted again. Hanzo was wary enough to catch the movement in his peripheral vision and froze. Its ears and tail were still down but as he watched, it struggled to its feet. Hanzo frowned. Was it injured? It took a step forward—or rather, a hop. Hanzo stared at the stump where its left leg should have been. It had to be an old injury for there was no blood where the leg ended. The creature hopped another step closer, ears down but its tail beginning to wag ever so slowly.

Hanzo felt rooted in place. He knew he should flee or snatch up the bow, but he was confused and disoriented enough to make it difficult to decide which to do. The wolf took another hop-step and Hanzo could now see blood on its fur. Around its mouth and splattered against the chest and shoulder. It watched Hanzo but kept its head low. Another step, paired with a soft whine.

Hanzo backed up a step, feeling behind him with his foot for the bow. Then he caught sight of a gleam of metal and froze. In the darkness beyond the wolf, beside where it had lain, something reflected the moonlight. It had been hidden by the wolf's body when it was resting, but Hanzo would recognize the shape anywhere. No other gun had a spurr on the end.

A roar filled his ears, a wave of sound crashing over him, adding to the pressure clamping his chest and making it hard to breath. He looked between the wolf and the weapon, his brain shouting what his instincts had refused to accept.

A wild animal would have attacked while he slept, not kept watch over him. It wouldn't have tried to keep him warm, or bothered with the _sarape_ and Peacekeeper. It wouldn't be missing the same limb as the owner of said gun, or look at him with _human_ intelligence in its golden eyes.

“Jesse?” he whispered. 

The wolf's ears perked up and its mouth opened in a grin, tongue hanging out. The tail wagged happily now. There was no mistaking the reaction for anything other than what it was: recognition.

Hanzo's legs gave out. He landed on the cold ground with a thud, too stunned to care about the fresh wave of pain.

The wolf— _McCree_ —crowded forward and pushed his giant head into Hanzo. A muzzle the size of his forearm rubbed against his chest as a tongue flickered out, licking any inch of Hanzo it could reach. Happy whines filled the air, even as Hanzo sputtered.

“Ugh, stop! You are going to knock me over. McCree!” The last was a frustrated shout as a cold nose poked his bare side. He dug his hands into soft fur and shoved. The head didn't budge, but it did stop pushing with enough force to flatten him. Hanzo curled his fingers more gently into the fur, staring in wonder at the face before him.

How could he have missed it before? Even if the eye color had changed, no one else stared at him so adoringly. The band of iron that had gripped his heart slowly unwound. Hanzo hid his face against the furry chest, uncaring of the blood staining it. McCree was alive. He was uninjured. That was all that mattered.

“I am glad you are not hurt,” he murmured, “but you gave me quite a scare.”

McCree whined softly. Hanzo pulled back to look at him, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “Nothing more to say? Who knew you could be so quiet?”

McCree tilted his head then opened his mouth in a grin. There were an impressive number of sharp teeth but Hanzo knew not to worry now. He slid his hands up to scratch behind McCree's ears and the wolf's eyes closed in bliss. Hanzo laughed quietly.

“All right. Let us see if we can find the rest of our team.”

His legs were a little shaky when he stood, but the wolf was a solid presence at his side, bearing his weight without complaint. Once Hanzo felt like he wouldn't topple over, he retrieved the gun belt and picked up his bow so it would be near. In one of the belt's pouches, he found McCree's communicator and breathed a prayer of thanks when it powered on.

“This is Hanzo. Is anyone there?”

It only took a minute before someone answered.

“Hanzo! We were worried about you, love,” Tracer said. “Is McCree with you? He told us to leave and said he'd find you.”

Hanzo stared at the massive wolf. Did the team know? “He is here. We are safe for the moment.”

“Great! We'll be there in a jiffy, so just hang tight!” A voice in the background that Hanzo couldn't hear. “Oh, sorry, Athena says it'll be thirty minutes. See you soon!”

Hanzo tucked the communicator back into the belt after ending the call. He wondered if McCree's hearing in this form was good enough to have eavesdropped. Just in case, he relayed Tracer's estimated time of arrival.

By that point, he was shivering again, the cold making itself known now that his shock had departed. He wrapped the sarape around his shoulders, breathing in the familiar cigar smoke and gunpowder scent. He sat on the forest floor and McCree flopped beside him, once more offering his body heat. Hanzo leaned into it gratefully.

It felt completely natural to rest his hand on the broad back, to run his fingers through fur and marvel at the softness. McCree rested his head on the ground, his perked-up ears the only sign that he remained watchful. Hanzo enjoyed the peace for a little while, trying to ignore the multitude of questions tumbling through his mind.

“We will need to talk when we return to base,” he said softly.

Silence followed his words and then the wolf's ribs rose and fell in a deep sigh. After another minute of quiet, McCree pushed himself to his feet. Hanzo watched in confusion as the wolf walked away, deeper into the woods.

“McCree?”

It didn't take long before he was out of sight. Hanzo hesitated, unsure if he was meant to follow. Was McCree leaving because of what he'd said? Did he really think he could escape so easily? With a frown, Hanzo snatched up his bow and McCree's belt and strode after him.

A wolf's eyes were better than a human's which meant Hanzo's progress was slow as he tried to avoid tripping on anything he couldn't see. Then a whimper of pain reached his ears and he cast aside his caution in favor of reaching McCree.

He eventually found the wolf tucked behind a cluster of trees. Hanzo would have kept running if not for another soft cry. When he heard it, he whipped around and saw McCree on the ground. The giant, furry body shuddered, as if wracked by spasms of pain. Hanzo stepped forward, alarmed by the sudden change in demeanor, and heard a distinct pop, like a joint dislocating. The wolf whined again, followed by another shudder and then a second pop.

As Hanzo stared, something beneath the wolf's fur shifted. Horrified, he realized there were _bones_ moving beneath the skin. McCree was _changing_. It made Hanzo sick to watch, not only because no living thing should move that way, but because McCree was obviously in great pain and there was nothing Hanzo could do to help. So he did the only thing he could, turning his back on McCree to give him some semblance of privacy while he kept watch. He slung his bow over his shoulders, strapped on the gun belt and drew Peacekeeper. He didn't enjoy using guns but he'd trained with them. If someone attacked while McCree was vulnerable, he would prefer to have a long-range weapon in hand before having to resort to using his bow as a club. 

Eventually, the noises quieted down behind him, leaving only the sound of ragged breathing. Hanzo eyed the forest around them but it appeared they were alone. Reassured for the moment, he holstered Peacekeeper and turned around.

McCree was completely nude, half-curled up on his stomach with his face hidden in the bend of his right arm. His left was a bare stump. Hanzo stared, stunned by the sight. He had never see McCree's arm without the prosthetic. The few times he'd removed it for maintenance, there had been a base that remained attached to the stump.

Hanzo's instinct was to go to McCree's side, but he held back given how painful the transformation had looked.

“Sorry.” McCree's voice was hoarse and muffled against his arm. He took a moment to catch his breath. “Sorry y'had to see...that.”

“You are a fool,” Hanzo replied, though his words lacked bite. He took a step closer. “May I touch you?”

A chuckle answered him.

“Sure, darlin'. I don't bite.” There was a weariness to his words that cut through Hanzo, a bitter edge he hadn't heard from the other man in months. Not since he'd managed to convince McCree that loneliness wasn't a predetermined path for either of them.

Hanzo snorted and replied lightly, “I know from experience that isn't true.”

McCree lifted his head, the beginning of a frown creasing his brow. Then he caught Hanzo's meaning. Confusion swept aside the annoyance and then he dropped his head back down. He made a sound that could've been a laugh, if it weren't so tired.

Hanzo knelt beside him, resting a hand gently on one sweat-slick shoulder.

“Might want to be careful. With my luck, 'm probably lying in poison ivy,” McCree mumbled.

Hanzo resisted the urge to sigh. McCree seemed determined to hide from him and self-deprecating humor was one of his many ways of walling people off. Hanzo chose to ignore the comment for now.

“Why did you change?”

The muscles beneath Hanzo's hand tensed. “Had to. The others don't know.”

“None of them?” Hanzo was stunned by the revelation. Most of the members of Overwatch had been McCree's family long before Hanzo arrived. Why had he never told them?

“Ain't an easy secret to share,” McCree muttered. “Finding out someone you trusted is... _this_. It can change how you see a man.”

“It changes nothing!”

McCree's head came up, his eyes wide. Even Hanzo was startled by his own vehemence. He hadn't meant the words to come out so harshly but the sudden surge of protective anger burst out of him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“While it is true I have questions, this doesn't change how I feel about you.” He reached out with his other hand to cup McCree's cheek. “You are still the same man, Jesse. You simply become...more hairy.” He tugged lightly at the other man's beard, trying to keep his tone teasing.

McCree let out a shaky laugh, his eyes shining in the moonlight. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

“Oh sugar, what'd I ever do to deserve you?”

Hanzo felt a sympathetic knot form in his own throat. He leaned down to press their foreheads together. “I have wondered the same of myself.” 

He tilted Jesse's face up so their lips could meet, feeling how the other man trembled. He wanted to press him down against the forest floor, kiss him until they were both breathless, until whatever fears were gnawing at McCree receded, but he knew they were short on time. Still, he couldn't convince his fingers to let go. They were buried in Jesse's hair, keeping his lover close as his brain tried to compare the softness to the wolf's pelt.

Jesse was just as eager, doing his best to climb into Hanzo's lap as he returned the kiss hungrily. Little nothings tricked from his mouth each time they paused for breath. _Please_ and _oh darlin_ ' and _don't stop_ , until Hanzo thought his heart would burst. He could feel Jesse's arousal pressing into his stomach, knew his own was obvious beneath the man in his lap, but there would be time for that later, in the comfort of their room.

“I thought I'd lost you,” Jesse panted against Hanzo's mouth, his grip desperate, almost painful.

“You haven't,” Hanzo promised, his own hands sliding up that broad, familiar back. “I'm here. I am not going anywhere.”

He buried his face in Jesse's neck, arms tightening around him. McCree mirrored him as best he could with one arm, taking a deep breath and letting it out as a sigh. His beard tickled Hanzo's throat but Hanzo kept himself still, willing his desire to settle. The silence of the forest was a comfort. 

Hanzo waited until his pulse had calmed before speaking. “What happened?”

“I panicked.” The confession was followed by a weak laugh. “I panicked like I ain't done in a long time, darlin'. We got the payload delivered and then suddenly there were _so many_ of them. All over the damn place. I told the others to high-tail it out of there, that I'd find you and regroup.”

Hanzo thought he might have remembered hearing that in his ear before a group of Talon agents caught him by surprise. Then he'd been too busy fighting to remember what happened next.

“I couldn't find you.” McCree's arm tightened around him. “I couldn't find you and I panicked. My senses are better in...in the other form, so I shifted. It's quicker the first time. Takes longer when I'm tired or I've done it recently. I caught your scent, tracked you down, and found them standing over your body. I think they were debatin' takin' you with them but I didn't wait to figure it out. I saw you on the ground and...I lost control. Ain't done that in a long time.”

Hanzo could picture what happened next. If he had found McCree in a similar situation, nothing could have held him back either. It also explained where the blood on his fur had come from, since he was uninjured. He continued to run a hand in soothing circles across McCree's back.

“After that, I got you into the woods, then went back for our weapons before settlin' down to wait.”

“Why didn't you change back then?” It was obvious McCree had been nervous about Hanzo seeing him as a wolf. His nudity would have also required an explanation but might have been easier.

The other man sat back a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I knew I could protect you better like that.” He grinned. “I'm also a lot warmer as a wolf, so neither of us had to freeze.”

He hadn't mentioned the cold before, but Hanzo could feel him trembling as he fought not to shiver. He unwrapped the sarape from his shoulders, covering the other man with it. McCree grabbed his wrist and leaned closer.

“I can think of some other ways to keep warm while we wait.” His grin was downright sinful.

Hanzo snorted, unable to fight back the smile that curled his lips.

“You are not willing to let our team see you as a wolf, but you do not mind being caught having sex?”

“'S no secret how I feel about you, darlin'.”

“I had no idea you had this side of you. You are full of surprises tonight, cowboy.” When McCree tensed, Hanzo pressed a kiss to his temple to banish any lingering fears. “All of them good ones.”

McCree slumped against him in obvious relief. He wasn't a light man but Hanzo was reluctant to let go, especially when the other man was finally relaxing. When Hanzo's legs began to go numb, he shifted so that he was sitting instead of kneeling but kept McCree tucked against him. The movement earned only a mumble of protest, and Hanzo wondered if Jesse was falling asleep.

When he finally heard their transport approaching, he nudged McCree to wake him. “Come, we must get you covered if you do not wish to traumatize your friends.”

McCree's hold tightened for a second, revealing he was awake even if he didn't move. When he spoke, it was in a rough whisper, the words ghosting over Hanzo's skin.

“Didn't say it before, but thanks...for not runnin'.”

Hanzo wondered, not for the first time, what had happened to make McCree fear revealing his secret nature. “You are speaking to someone who summons spirit dragons.” He shrugged. “A wolf does not frighten me.”

He felt McCree's laugh against his neck and knew he'd chosen his words well. The transport had almost reached them, but Hanzo decided to chance one more comment. He dipped his head to speak against Jesse's ear.

“I do not think the others would care either, but that is your decision to make. I am with you no matter what you choose.”

McCree tensed, sitting back to look at Hanzo with doubt in his brown eyes. Eventually, he sighed.

“I'll think about it.”

“Good.” Hanzo pressed a kiss to his forehead. Then he slapped one bare thigh, grinning at the crack of skin-on-skin and McCree's yelp. “Up! And fix the _sarape_. No one needs to see so much of you.”

“Never heard you complainin',” McCree grumbled, but there was no heat behind the words. He wound the _sarape_ around his waist and then offered a hand to help Hanzo up. Light blinded them a moment later, as the spotlight from the transport found them. McCree waved a hand in greeting and they both stepped back to give the ship room as it began to land.

While McCree watched the transport, Hanzo watched him. His brow was furrowed, possibly from thinking what excuses to use for his state of dress. Hanzo had already thought of that and so he sidled closer, intending to put McCree at ease with one last distraction.

He slid hand down his lover's back and murmured, “I also owe you thanks, for watching over me. 

His words had their desired effect. McCree's head whipped around, his smile wide and wicked. 

“Any time, darlin'. I reckon you can pay me back when we get home.”

“Count on it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated writing the scene where McCree reveals his nature to the rest of the team, but this is already way longer than I originally planned and I wanted to finish it in time for McHanzo Week. In case anyone is curious, my headcannon for this little AU is that somewhere in McCree's past, he revealed what he was to someone close to him and they reacted poorly, either trying to shoot him or just running away. McCree decided it was better off if no one knew the truth, even if that made him more lonely in the end.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing the truth, Hanzo helps Jesse decide whether he'll share his secret with the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per my usual, I planned one scene and then couldn't stop writing so here's another 3000 words of werewolf!McCree and the archer who loves him. Thank you to everyone who has left kudos or comments! I appreciate you indulging me in this little AU. 
> 
> There's a brief sex scene (as people, no wolf sex) so I've bumped the rating to Mature in case anyone prefers a heads-up. Thanks again for reading!

Hanzo pushed his questions to the back of his mind, focusing on getting McCree comfortable in the transport and intercepting queries about his current state. They didn't have any extra clothes but Angela found blankets in one of the cabinets and McCree was quickly bundled up, despite assuring them he wasn't cold.

“It's for _us_ , not you, boy,” Torbjörn grumbled from his seat.

Angela fussed a moment longer at McCree's left side, examining his stump for damage. McCree had said the prosthetic was pinned by rubble and he'd been forced to disconnect it to get free. Hanzo assumed that it had been lost when he changed, but that was another question for later.

The doctor finished her check-up and sighed. “You have a back-up, yes?”

“Sure do.” McCree flashed his usual carefree grin. “Might be a little rusty but I'm sure it'll do fine.”

“We can work on connecting it tomorrow, if you'd like.”

“I'd be much obliged, Doc.” He tipped an imaginary hat, since the real one was another casualty of the battle. Hanzo felt a pang at its loss, knowing how much McCree had treasured it. At least they had Peacekeeper.

As Angela headed for the stairs leading to the cockpit, McCree closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat with a deep sigh. Hanzo watched him, noting the weariness etched on his lover's face. Hopefully he would rest on the trip back. Shifting forms clearly took a toll, not to mention the fighting he'd done before that.

Something brushed Hanzo's hand and he glanced down. Tanned fingers, no longer clutching the blanket, brushed his own. McCree's eyes were still closed, giving nothing away. Hanzo snorted but couldn't stop the smile creeping onto his face. He snared Jesse's hand in a firm grip, holding it against his thigh for the rest of their journey.

**

Hanzo would have waited years, if that's what it took, to hear the truth from McCree. He wanted answers that came from a place of trust, not because McCree was forced into sharing them. Once they were back at the base, he forced his questions to the back of his mind, but he could feel the looks McCree sent his way. Expectant, tense. Hanzo deliberately ignored them.

A few days after that disaster of a mission, they were sprawled in bed, heartbeats slowing from their recent exertion. It had started with drinks in the common room and then McCree had gotten that particular gleam in his eye before dragging Hanzo back to their room.

The sweat on Hanzo's skin was beginning to feel cool and he knew he should pull the sheet up, but he was relaxed and sated enough not to want to move. He had an arm and leg slung over Jesse, his head on the man's chest, so he felt it rise and fall when the other man sighed.

“I know you got questions.”

Hanzo's drowsiness dispersed at the words. He debated staying where he was versus sitting up to look at McCree. He decided to remain still for the moment, instead running his hand down McCree's side to grip his hip.

“It's not urgent,” he murmured.

Another sigh from Jesse, this one tinged with frustration. “It's just... I don't got a lot of answers. This...whatever-it-is didn't come with instructions.” He ran his left hand through his hair, grumbling when it snagged. The joints of the back-up prosthetic didn't fit as smoothly as the other had, but old habits were hard to break. Angela and Torbjörn were still working on the new one.

Hanzo sat up to help McCree untangle his hand. He pressed a kiss to the metal knuckles once they were free. “Tell me what you do know. That will be enough.”

McCree gave Hanzo's hand a squeeze, before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

“Okay. Best I can figure I was born with it. Never got mauled or bit by anything strange before the first change.”

“How old were you, the first time?”

“'bout fourteen. Thought I'd caught a fever, was burning up and achin' something fierce. Ma had me wrapped up in blankets to sweat it out, but during the night I stumbled outside, thinkin' the fresh air would help. Then it just...happened.”

Hanzo's hand tightened over McCree's. He pictured his own body suddenly twisting and reshaping without conscious thought. “That must have been terrifying.”

“Well, they say puberty's a weird time,” McCree said with a weak laugh.

“What happened next?”

“I was disoriented at first but I quickly got my head on straight and ran around some, feelin' out the new body. I was havin' a good ol' time til Ma came out of the house.”

He fell silent. Hanzo could feel the awful weight of that pause, knowing something terrible would come after it.

“I was smaller then but there was no mistakin' me for a coyote. Ma had heard me making noises, found my bed empty, and then came out with the shotgun to see what the fuss was. I don't know what she thought, seeing my clothes in shreds, no sign of her son, just a big furry monster. She took aim and I took off.”

Hanzo sat up, looking at McCree's face. He gaze was unfocused, a slight frown on his face. He might as well have been discussing unpleasant weather.

“Did you go back?”

“Nope. I was terrified, had no idea how to get back to normal. I ran for miles and miles in the moonlight, eventually fell over with exhaustion. In the morning, I was able to change but it wasn't an easy process. Then I didn't know what to do. Naked as the day I was born, with no money or supplies. That's kind of why I ended up with Deadlock. Tried to scrounge around on my own and eventually fell in with them. 

“Why didn't you return home?” Hanzo voiced the question softly.

McCree swallowed. “I was scared. I didn't know why it had happened, or if I'd change again. I just kept seeing Ma standing there with the shotgun...” His voice had thickened and he cleared his throat. “I went back years later, after I joined up with Overwatch. Told Ma I'd run away to join a gang.” He shot Hanzo a watery smile. “She was mad as hell and damn disappointed in me, but I figured that was better than...” He trailed off, shrugging as best he could while lying down.

Better than facing a loved one with a weapon in between. Hanzo closed his eyes, the familiar pain resurfacing as he remembered the look on Genji's face years ago. He tried to push the memory aside and focus on Jesse. 

“I am glad you could reconcile, even years later,” he said, pushing through the emotion clogging his throat. Jesse heard it and covered Hanzo's hand with his own, but the archer continued. “Still, I cannot believe you told no one in all these years.”

Another half-shrug. “Didn't want to chance it. After that first time, I could feel it coming and learned to hightail it somewhere I could change in peace. Eventually, I figured out how to control it. By the time Reyes found me, I had the hang of it. 

“Do you need to change...regularly?”

McCree's grin was sly. “Y'mean like on a full moon?”

Hanzo tried to give him a stern look despite the embarrassment warming his cheeks. He couldn't be blamed for believing tall tales and movies when that was the only knowledge he had that matched what McCree could do.

“I'm not sure where those stories come from because my experience ain't matched much of it. I don't know about silver bullets, but the full moon don't feel any different than the new one. I do get...antsy, I guess, if I go too long without shiftin'. Guess that's my wild side tryin' to get out.”

“What about this?” Hanzo lay a hand on McCree's stump. “You are not hindered by not having the prosthetic?”

“Naw, I can run just fine.” McCree's grin took on a sharp edge and his next words were a challenge. “Think you can keep up?”

Hanzo arched an eyebrow. “We shall have to see, won't we?”

***

The others were used to them taking the occasional night to themselves, so no one thought anything of it when McCree announced they were going out the next evening.

“We've got our comms if you need us,” he added.

“Go have fun,” Angela said, shooing them out of the room.

They headed up the rocky paths, away from civilization and prying eyes. Hanzo had explored enough to know the tourists and inhabitants of the island didn't venture this far up, but he was alert for any signs of activity just in case.

Once they'd reached a secluded spot, Hanzo set down the backpack he'd brought and helped McCree remove his left arm, including the base, so that wouldn't be damaged when he shifted. Then the other man began to strip, dropping his clothes into a messy pile that made Hanzo grumble. He picked them up, ignoring McCree's chuckle, and moved a few feet away to fold them.

Before they'd left the base, McCree had explained there was nothing Hanzo could do to help during the change.

“Just havin' you near is comfort enough, darlin'. It's no fun worryin' about something sneakin' up on you when you're stuck like that.”

Despite being forewarned, Hanzo found it hard to sit and listen to the sounds. Folding the clothes would at least occupy his mind for a brief time. This change was quicker than the one he had witnessed before, though it seemed no less painful. When the noises quieted, he finally turned to look. Even knowing what he would see, the massive wolf was still a shock. What had been hidden in the shadows of the Black Forest was fully on display in the moonlight now.

McCree's fur was a rich red-brown that lacked the markings of a normal wolf, but there was no mistaking him for anything but a wild animal. When he climbed to his feet and gave a full body shake, the difference in size was even more apparent. But even if the bright golden eyes were the wrong color, the amusement in them was all McCree.

Hanzo put the folded clothes away and hid the bag and metal arm out of sight. He returned to the wolf, bending so they were eye-to-eye. It brought him closer to the impressively sharp teeth but he knew there was no danger. He ran his fingers through soft fur, scratching soothing circles up behind the wolf's ears. McCree's eyes closed and he panted.

“Not so ferocious now,” Hanzo murmured, though he knew no one else could melt the wolf so easily.

In a flash, a pink tongue darted out and the wolf licked a line up the side of Hanzo's face.

“Ugh, McCree!” Hanzo stepped back, using the back of his hand to wipe at the wetness. McCree wagged his tail, looking far too smug for a wolf. Hanzo fixed him with his best glare. “Do _not_ do that again.”

McCree dropped into a playful bow, bouncing up a moment later. There was no sign the warning had any effect and the gleam in his golden eyes was a challenge. A moment later, he darted away and Hanzo took off after him.

Where McCree's gait had been hindered at slow speeds, it evened out as he ran until there was no sign he was missing a limb. He could have easily outrun Hanzo—that was clear within minutes—but judging from the looks he cast over his shoulder, and how quickly Hanzo caught up, he was pacing himself to match a human's speed.

There was something thrilling about running alongside a wolf, especially one as huge as McCree. He was tall enough that Hanzo could rest a hand on his back as they ran. When he did, McCree shot him another tongue-lolling look of joy. Hanzo's legs burned but he pushed himself on, not willing to let go of this moment where nothing mattered except the wind in their faces and the ground beneath their feet.

Eventually, they stopped to rest. McCree flopped onto his side, panting, as Hanzo braced his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. When the wolf caught Hanzo looking, he rolled onto his back to expose his belly. There was an expectant look in his eyes.

“Oh yes, _very_ ferocious,” Hanzo said, but he chuckled as he knelt and indulged his partner.

After their rest, they wandered a bit more. McCree managed to spook a rabbit and chased it briefly before it escaped. Although he struggled with the sharp turns the rabbit used to shake him, Hanzo suspected it was a conscious decision to let the animal go.

Eventually, they wandered back to the secluded spot where McCree had first changed. Hanzo sat with his back to the rocks and McCree lay pressed against him, his massive head resting on the archer's legs as Hanzo stroked his fur. It was peaceful like this, not much different than a night spent sprawled on the couch together.

At midnight, Hanzo lifted McCree's head off him and then climbed to his feet. He stretched and then pointed to a spot a few feet away.

“I will not be far. Simply speak when you are done.”

He took up watch as McCree changed back, trying to ignore how his heart twisted at the sounds behind him. He doubted he would ever grow used to it, or the feeling of helplessness. With no clothes to fold, he began to hum to occupy his mind. It was meandering notes at first until an old folk song came to mind and he began to sing quietly. His voice felt rusty from lack of practice but remembering the lyrics and tune kept him from focusing on the whimpers and whines of pain.

He only relaxed once he heard the weary, “Okay, darlin', 'm decent.”

“That is questionable,” Hanzo murmured, and was pleased to hear a soft chuckle behind him. When he turned, McCree was fully human but hadn't moved from where he lay half-curled up in the dirt. Hanzo retrieved the backpack and knelt at his side. He pulled the sarape out first, spreading it out and helping McCree crawl onto it.

“Y'got a nice singing voice. Never told me that.”

“It didn't seem important.” A small towel came next, which Hanzo used to gently wipe away the sweat and dirt stuck to the other man's skin.

“Y'got a nice everything,” McCree said, eyes half-closed as he rolled towards Hanzo and buried his face against the man's knees. At first, Hanzo thought he was helping, since the move had exposed his back. Then he felt a hand creep up his thigh. He glanced down and saw Jesse watching him, head tilted up.

Hanzo acquiesced to the silent request, leaning down for a soft kiss. When he tried to pull back so he could return to his task, McCree fisted a hand in his shirt and held him in place.

“You are exhausted,” Hanzo said. “And in pain.” He wasn't as sure about the second part, but Jesse ignored both observations, instead pulling him down again.

“'m sure you can make it real gentle for both of us,” he murmured against Hanzo's lips.

It didn't take much coaxing after that. As concerned as he was about Jesse's condition, Hanzo hadn't yet learned how to deny him when his eyes went soft and dark with arousal. He laid down on the hard-packed dirt and pulled Jesse on top. The cowboy was all too eager to comply, nipping at Hanzo's lower lip before he darted his tongue out for a taste.

It took no time at all for Hanzo to part his own clothes enough to get them both in hand. He shuddered at the combination of their cocks rubbing together and the bites Jesse was scattering across his throat. The other man rocked his hips in a silent plea but Hanzo kept his strokes slow and gentle, despite Jesse's frustrated huff.

“Hush, I am taking care of you,” he murmured against Jesse's temple, following his words with a kiss. He tightened his grip a moment later, earning a gasp that made him smirk. Then his attention was too focused on bringing them off together to speak.

Jesse eventually came with a groan he muffled against Hanzo's shoulder. As he shivered through the aftermath, Hanzo followed him over the edge, gasping his name. They collapsed in a boneless pile, heedless of the mess between them. Hanzo could feel Jesse's heartbeat like this and closed his eyes, rubbing circles across his lover's back and enjoying the peace.

The moment was ruined when Jesse licked a wet line up the side of his face. His tongue wasn't as rough as a wolf's but it was just as disgusting.

“You are a dead man,” Hanzo swore, but the cowboy only laughed and tucked his face into Hanzo's neck. Pressed together as they were, the sound rumbled through Hanzo. He sighed. It was an empty threat and they both knew it.

Eventually, they separated and Hanzo used the towel to clean up. Jesse dressed and they reattached his arm before starting down the path. After a few minutes of silence, Jesse caught Hanzo's hand with his own, entwining their fingers.

“I've been thinking about tellin' the team,” he said quietly, eyes down.

Hanzo stopped, tugging the other man to a halt. “Only if you are ready.”

Jesse ducked his head. He rubbed the back of his neck with his metal hand.

“It's just...I keep wonderin' what would have happened if it had been someone else there. Who saw me like that.”

It was a fair concern, one Hanzo had considered as well. Would any of the others have recognized the man inside the wolf? Would they have given him the chance to change, or shot him while he was vulnerable?

“I thought I'd lose you, if you knew the truth, but...” Jesse waved a hand at Hanzo. “You're still here.”

“I am. I have no plans to leave.”

Jesse looked out over the ocean, glittering in the moonlight. “I just thought...maybe I should give the others the same chance.”

“I am with you no matter what you decide.”

“You'll keep them from putting me down?” His grin was cheeky but there was genuine worry in his eyes.

“No one will harm you, Jesse. I swear it.”

Jesse raised their clasped hands so he could kiss Hanzo's knuckles. “Knew I could count on you, darlin'.”

***

A few days later, Lena, Fareeha, and Soldier: 76 returned from their mission, meaning every agent who had answered the Recall was on the base. It was a rarity given how thin they were stretched. McCree asked Athena to call everyone to the mess hall and waited anxiously with Hanzo at his side. Once the team had gathered, McCree pasted on his usual bright smile.

“Been a while since we had everyone together, huh? Now, I know y'all are probably tired.” He nodded to the trio who had just returned. “But I got something I need to show ya, so if you could just wait a second, I'd appreciate it.” He ducked out before anyone could ask questions. All eyes turned to Hanzo. 

“Please wait here,” was all he said before following McCree.

When he reached their room, McCree had finished changing and was pacing a small circle in the space beside the bed. He whined when Hanzo let himself in.

“Hush. No backing out now.” He grabbed the sarape from the bed and crouched down.

This part of the plan was his idea. The sarape was something familiar, so patently “McCree” that it would, in Hanzo's opinion, draw attention away from the wolf's more intimidating aspects. He wrapped it around McCree's shoulders, covering the stump on the left and tying it so it would not entangle his right foot. Then he dug his fingers into the fur surrounding McCree's face and met those golden eyes.

“I will be waiting for you.” 

It was a promise and a threat. If McCree backed out now, he would be letting Hanzo down as well. The wolf whined again but Hanzo pressed a kiss to the top of his head and then left.

When he returned to the mess hall, all eyes once again focused on him. Lucio and Lena looked twitchy and anxious, neither being good at sitting still and waiting. Hana turned her attention back to her phone but Hanzo suspected she was watching him from her peripheral vision. Angela and Fareeha were quietly conferring but the doctor shrugged; she was as much in the dark as everyone else. Genji and Soldier: 76 were harder to read given their faces were hidden, but Hanzo had known his brother long enough to see the question directed at him in the slight tilt of Genji's head. Hanzo answered with an impassive stare. They would all know soon enough.

“McCree is on his way,” he said. In the quiet following his words, Hanzo heard the distinct clicking of nails against the metal floor. The sound was unlike the usual jingle of spurs associated with McCree, and several people sat up a little, expressions curious. Hanzo saw Winston's nostrils flare briefly and wondered if the gorilla was picking up the scent of wolf where the others couldn't.

He knew when McCree became visible because of the stillness that settled over the room. He reached back to set a steadying hand on the wolf, not looking away from the team's reaction.

Reinhardt broke first, barking out a single, “Ha!” before his expression turned confused.

“A wolf,” Torbjörn said slowly.

“Hold up, I'm not imaging this?” Lucio exclaimed, glancing around. “Everyone sees that wolf behind Hanzo? Is that supposed to be a _pet_?”

McCree stepped forward, so the missing paw and sarape were more visible. Hanzo could see the moment things clicked in Lucio's brain. The young man's eyes widened as his mouth formed a silent “o”.

The silence stretched on, long enough to make Hanzo afraid he'd given poor counsel. He hadn't thought any of the team would hurt McCree, but this stunned hush was unnerving. He felt McCree shift behind him, shrinking in on himself. Hanzo struggled to think of a way to save the situation.

Lena popped out of her chair, vanishing in a blue flash and reappearing next to them a moment later. It startled Hanzo badly enough that he reached for a weapon he didn't have, but she only put her hands to her mouth and stared in wonder.

“I can't believe this! Can I touch you?”

The question was directed at McCree, who wagged his tail slowly. Lena rested a hand lightly on the top of his head and then practically melted.

“It's so soft!”

Her immediate delight seemed to erase the lingering shock at the table. Everyone approached after that, though they were forced to form a half-circle around them because Hanzo refused to give up his position at McCree's side. The younger members were the least hesitant. Lena scratched behind one ear while Hana took the other side and Lucio laughed at the content expression on the wolf's face. Angela and Fareeha stood together, watching with a mix of amusement and awe. Torbjörn was frowning and tugging at his beard, but Reinhardt, towering behind him, looked ecstatic.

“You look very fierce, my friend! It is a fitting shape for a fellow warrior.”

Winston seemed the most nervous but despite hanging back, he watched with open curiosity. Some of Hanzo's fear began to recede. Then he saw Soldier: 76. The man stood with arms crossed, watching them all in silence. He had hardly moved since McCree first left the room.

“You knew about this?” The question was a gruff rumble, directed at Hanzo. He straightened, eyes narrowed. Was the man implying Hanzo had somehow done wrong by not sharing something so private?

“Yes, and now so do all of you. As I told McCree, secrets have no place among friends.”

The red visor and mask were impassive, revealing nothing of the man beneath. Hanzo stared back, refusing to be cowed by a man who hid himself.

“Well said, brother.” Genji appeared at Hanzo's side, slinging an arm over his shoulders. His whole body was deceptively relaxed. “But that is why I cannot believe McCree did not tell me first.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Were we not friends far longer?”

McCree rolled his eyes towards Genji and heaved a sigh that needed no translation.

“Genji,” Hanzo said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Oh fine, I am only teasing,” Genji said, a grin in his voice. “Besides, turning into a wolf may be cool, but can you turn into...smoke?”

Genji squeezed Hanzo's shoulder briefly before he vanished in a literal cloud of smoke. It was a trick he'd used only a handful of times, usually reserving it for when he felt the most dramatic.

“No way!” Lucio exclaimed, looking around the room. Genji was nowhere in sight. Neither was Soldier: 76. Hanzo wondered if his brother had left to hunt the other man down.

A whine drew his attention back to McCree, who was being pelted with questions he couldn't answer.

“So is that how it works for you? Poof! And you're a wolf?”

“Do you have to change with the full moon?”

“If you bite someone, will that turn them into a wolf too?”

“Are there any differences that I should know of as your doctor?”

McCree shot Hanzo a desperate look and the archer took pity on him.

“It is up to McCree what he will choose to answer, but clearly he can say nothing in this form,” he said, regaining everyone's attention. “If you will wait a few moments, I will take him to change and then he can answer your questions.”

“But we wanna see it!” Hana protested. Hanzo arched an eyebrow at her and the other hopeful expressions turned towards him.

“As none of you have shown interest in seeing the cowboy naked before—“ Eagerness turned to disgust and horror. “--no one will be watching the change.”

“Okay, yeah, no thanks,” Hana said, rushing back to her chair as if fearing McCree would change right then. Everyone else went back to their seats, leaving Lena and Angela standing with Hanzo.

Lena seemed ready to argue, but she had once caught more than an eyeful of undressed McCree when she'd stumbled across them on the roof. The memory must have reasserted itself because she abruptly made a face and then darted off to join the others.

Angela was the last and looked down at McCree thoughtfully. “It would be helpful for me to understand how it works, in order to treat him if something were to happen.”

“It is not a pleasant process,” Hanzo replied quietly, glancing around. None of the others appeared to be listening. “If McCree decides to show you, that is his decision, but I think it would be best to wait.”

“Understood. But we will talk later, ja?” She directed this last question at McCree, who bobbed his head in acknowledgement.

They went back to their room in silence. Once the door had shut, the wolf shoved his muzzle into Hanzo's stomach, pushing him against the door. Hanzo crouched so that he could wrap his arms around McCree, only then noticing the anxious shivering. He dug his fingers into thick fur.

“All is well,” he murmured. “It was a surprise, yes, but you saw how they reacted. You are still their friend and teammate.”

McCree pulled away to give Hanzo a look.

“Genji is seeking out Soldier: 76,” Hanzo replied. “If anything, he is mad that I kept information from the team, but do not worry about that. Your _friends_ are waiting in the mess hall with many questions. You should change so we can return.”

McCree let out a snuffling whine, pushing into Hanzo's chest to hide his face. After a moment, he sighed and some of the tension drained from his frame. When he backed up and turned to face his pile of clothes, Hanzo stepped outside to let him change in private.

The clicking of metal feet alerted him to Genji's approach. _He must be done playing the cyberninja if he's allowing himself to be heard._ When Genji rounded the corner, he raised a hand in greeting.

“So, was everyone impressed?” he asked.

“For two seconds and then they returned their attention to McCree.”

Genji chuckled, the sound somehow both foreign and familiar to Hanzo. “I suppose that is understandable. He's inside?” He inclined his head toward the door. Before Hanzo could speak, there was a drawn-out whine from within. Hanzo's heart stuttered in his chest and Genji went still. When no sounds followed, Hanzo sighed.

“Less of a blessing than a curse?” Genji murmured.

“Something like that,” Hanzo replied. To distract himself, he went on, “Will Soldier be a problem?”

“You have seen how he is with surprises." Genji shrugged. "He's not a threat to McCree. I bestowed upon him some of my master's great wisdom about the world and its mysteries. He grunted and walked away.” Hanzo frowned, despite Genji's light tone. "Perhaps some of what I said sunk in. Maybe he, too, will share a secret with the group, though I do not think it will be quite as shocking.” Now Hanzo could hear the grin in his brother's voice.

“Shocking is Jesse's speciality,” he said, smiling fondly.

“As we all know too well.” Genji clasped his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze, and then walked away. “See you shortly, brother.”

Hanzo knew he should trust Genji's instincts, but he planned to watch Soldier: 76 closely for the next few days. In the mess hall, he'd barely said two words and managed to hurt Jesse with just that. He wouldn't get a second chance.

A tapping behind Hanzo told him it was time to enter. When the door slid open, McCree stood there completely naked, casually leaning against the doorframe. He held up his metal arm.

“Care to give me a hand?”

Hanzo's first impulse was to walk away. A week ago he would have, leaving McCree to chase after him. Now he knew how drained the man must be, even if he was making idiotic jokes.

“You are awful.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You like it,” McCree said, his smirk audible.

“I do not.” Hanzo poked McCree in the chest, forcing him back a step so Hanzo could enter the room and let the door shut. The cowboy's expression wilted. “I like _you_. The two are not one in the same.”

McCree's face brightened again. “Can't have one without the other, darlin'.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes before helping McCree reattach his arm. He half-expected the man to get handsy after that but although there was a familiar gleam in his eyes, he didn't push into Hanzo's space as he had the other night. Instead, he dutifully got dressed, though his movements were slowed by the change. Once he had his sarape wrapped around his shoulders and his hat in place, he joined Hanzo at the door.

“Ready?” Hanzo murmured, reaching out to take the cowboy's hand.

“As I'll ever be,” Jesse replied, entwining their fingers. Together they left the room and headed down the hall to join their friends.

 


End file.
